Talon's Three Musketeers
by SchwarzerWolf
Summary: A collection of short stories into the relationship between Talon's most dangerous, experienced and trusted operatives: Reaper, Widowmaker & Sombra. Experience their daily lives and watch as their relationship evolves from acquaintances to friends to something more. (Rated M for violence, language and possible chemistry)
1. Prologue

The woman walked down the eerie, dark corridors of Talon's main compound – the red illuminations placed around it brightened her dark purple accents. Her sharp fingers twirled around her hair as the woman's eyes traced her surroundings – ensuring that she will remember her environment, if it was absolutely necessary. After all, there were plenty of kids like her after the war – but none could act or think like _her._

"Heesh, I haven't even been here for three days and Talon already treats me like some sort of errand girl. I wonder what they want me to do now, secure the United States' nuclear launch codes? Sabotage China's essential nuclear plants? I'm sure the list would go on." The woman murmured to no one in particular as she strolled further down the dark corridors. She approached an office with heavy oak doors, guarded by two Talon soldiers in black breastplates.

"Stop." One of the soldiers said as he extended an arm.

"Let her in, she's the one the Captain wants." The other retorted.

"Nice to know that I'm welcome here." Sombra smirked as she brushed past the two guards and opened the doors. She was greeted by a Talon senior officer sitting over a table, his hand occupied with a pen, pressing onto a piece of paper – his grizzled face looked up from the table and furrowed a brow.

"So…you're the famous hacker my superiors dropped to me?" The Captain said as he continued his activity.

"In the flesh." The woman replied as she gestured with a bow.

"Known for world wide hacking sprees and past Los Muertos affiliations…interesting background young lady."

"Listen, can we just get straight to the point? I've already completed four assignments in less than two days…and it's really beginning to be a pain in the culo."

"Right…they warned me about your tendency to go 'off the charts'." A brief pause stood between the two before the Captain opened his mouth again.

"Due to your past Los Muertos involvement, Talon has saw fit to post you to Dorado. I'm sure you've heard of LumériCo and their CEO?"

"Oh…I know him." Sombra said with a curl.

"Talon's interests lies in the complete destruction of Portero's reputation, he's been suspicious from the start – but maybe a tiny push can break him. Do what you can, use your influence in that little gang of yours. But do not forget your primary objective, any questions?"

Sombra shook her head and turned her back towards the officer, "Piece of cake, I hope there's something worthy for me when I'm done with your little job." And with that, the form of the woman disappeared, leaving traces of purple and pink particles in her wake – leaving the Captain awed.

Sombra reappeared outside the compound, the fresh night air swinging by her face.

"Good thing I left this thing here, walking back out those long corridors would've been torture." Sombra sighed as she picked up her translocator and smirked.

"Interesting toy…" A graveled voice emerged; the woman quickly turned her head – caught off guard by a dark figure. The man was leaning on the wall and had his arms folded, his head slowly turned to face her.

"What are you talking about?" Sombra said.

The man slowly walked towards the hacker, stopping as he was close enough.

"That design…it belongs to someone else doesn't it?"

Sombra turned her head and smiled, "I know you…you're one of Talon's infamous mercenaries, Reaper was it?"

The wraith growled as he balled his fists, "Answer my question…or else."

"First answer me this." The woman said with a sly tone, "Why would an unknown mercenary take sudden interest towards a piece of technology in which a common person would not be intrigued towards at all? And judging by your tone, you seem to _know_ this piece of technology."

Reaper stepped a few paces back, surprised from the perceptive senses of the woman infront of him.

"Gathering on this information, you must be either extremely curious…or someone else."

"Hmph. I can see why Talon insisted someone like you would join their ranks. I never expected that a global hacking crisis would originate from someone as immature and arrogant as you."

"Well this was certainly a pleasant first meeting. I've always wanted to meet the infamous Angel of Death."

"I hope you're satisfied…" Reaper's voice said with a scratch.

"Well if it would sate your curiosity. I found a stray piece of technology and merely made modifications towards it, nothing more – nothing less."

"I'm sure you did…" Reaper said as he folded his arms, not amused from the hacker's comments.

"Believe what you want, I'm in no mood to argue. I have an important assignment that I have to tend to, a hovership should be waiting at the landing pads to take me to Dorado."

"Now hold o-" The specter stopped as his earpiece rang through his ear. He placed two clawed fingers over his ear and spoke, "Numbani? Doomfist's gauntlet? Fine Widowmaker, I'll be there at 0600." He retracted his fingers and turned his attention back towards the hacker.

"We'll meet again…" The wraith said as his body was slowly enveloped by a swirl of black mist, the hacker watched as the smoke travelled its way out from the compound.

"Then lets hope we meet on a more positive note." Sombra muttered to herself with a smile. The hacker moved down the stairs of the main compound and made her way towards the landing pad.


	2. Chapter 1: Questioning

**_Shortly after the attack on Volskaya Industries_**

The wraith, sniper and hacker sat along the benches of the moving hovership – the beginning of the trip back to the compound was quiet and uncomfortable. The silence was broken with a comment from Reaper.

"Sombra…how did she escape from someone as versatile as you?"

The hacker shook her head, "Her backup arrived much more quicker than what the briefing had suggested. It couldn't be avoided."

"She should've been an easy target…" Reaper growled, "If the alarm wasn't set off, Widowmaker would've blown her brains out and we would have another assignment scratched off the board."

"What I want to know is who or what set off the blasted alarm." Widowmaker said, her golden eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"It doesn't matter…it looks like Katya Volskaya escapes death for one more day."

"So dramatic…" Sombra rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"Quiet Sombra, you need to get your head in the game and take our missions more seriously."

"I think I'm as serious as I could be, big guy." Sombra replied with a cheeky smile.

"Yeah, a prime example of how serious you are could be where YOU ALMOST SQUISHED ME THROUGH THE DOOR!"

"Sheesh, no need to shout." Sombra said as she dug her ear.

"That's enough from both of you." Widowmaker interrupted, "You sound like immature children fighting over who would get a TV remote."

"That's…oddly specific." Sombra chuckled.

"N-no. It was just the first thing that popped in my mind to relate to the current situation." Widowmaker replied, a flustered expression revealed over her face.

"Right…sure." Sombra snickered.

"Grrgh, what are we gonna tell him?" Reaper asked as he rested his face over his palm.

"Ask who?" Sombra replied.

"My employer…in other words: the guy who assigned us this task."

"We'll just say that the briefing had insufficient information, therefore having no possibility of executing the mission." Sombra suggested as she twirled her hair with a sharp finger.

Widowmaker and Reaper sat there, pondering.

"That's…actually not a bad idea." Widowmaker said nodding.

"Yeah…now that's how you _should_ be thinking Sombra." Reaper chuckled.

"Well it won't take long before we arrive back home, I suppose _I_ would have to do the talking." Sombra furrowed her brow.

"I'm down." Reaper said.

"Yup…" Widowmaker replied shortly after.

The speed of the hovership was quick as the snowy and cloudy terrain of Russia's climate disappeared and soon returned to a warm color of the blue ocean and bright yellow sun.

"Ugh…" Sombra rolled her eyes as the hovership slowly descended onto a landing pad. The doors opened, revealing the unforgettable monstrosity that is Talon's main base of operations.

"Lets just get this over with." Sombra shook her head as she was followed by the two Talon agents behind her.

* * *

The three agents walked out of the office. Sombra stretched her arms and yawned.

"I thought it would've been much harder to persuade him." Sombra shrugged.

"At least we're not getting sacked…" Reaper said to Widowmaker.

"And that's all thanks to me, honestly. Show some appreciation." Sombra placed her hands over her hips and scowled towards the both of them.

"Hmph. Fine. Sombra we couldn't have wriggled out of that situation without your quick thinking." Reaper dragged with a monotone expression.

"Oh…what would happen to us if you weren't there. I dread to think about it." Widowmaker said shortly after with a similar monotone voice.

Sombra narrowed her eyes and her face grew pouty.

"Relax Sombra, we were just joking." Reaper said as he crossed his arms.

"Hmm, I seem to recall something: 'Oh Sombra, you should get your head in the game and be more serious.'" The hacker mocked.

"Well right now we're not in a mission are we?" Reaper retorted.

"Honestly, you two need to sort out some issues." Widowmaker shook her head as she began to walk down the corridor, "And I know just how you two could mend, follow me."

Both the hacker and the wraith arched an eyebrow.

"Where are you taking us?" Sombra asked with curiosity.

The sniper peered over her shoulder, "The cafeteria…"

"Dios mío, I was starving." Sombra said as she tailed after the lilac woman. Reaper shook his head and followed shortly after.

"The cafeteria's always such a bore, especially the idiotas sitting in there." Sombra shuddered.

"The grunts of Talon are imbeciles, though the ones with more experience are much more disciplined." Widowmaker responded as the three walked down the corridor.

"Disciplined as in not being such idiots?" Sombra snickered.

"Yes..." Widowmaker replied as she narrowed her eyes, "That's right."

"Besides…if those low lifes do cause trouble, they can say hello to my friends." Reaper suggested as his gauntlets patted his trenchcoat.

"Again with the drama." Sombra ushered as her fingers brushed through her hair.

"I'm _not_ being dramatic!" The wraith scowled; clearly his patient was deteriorating from the hacker's clever comments.

"Do you two ever stop arguing with each other? It's hurting my ears." Widowmaker turned towards the two, her golden eyes gleaming with determination.

Both of them growled as they shook their heads and continued down the corridor. The lilac woman slid a keycard into a slot and the doors to the cafeteria were opened. All off duty operatives and unassigned agents were chatting away as they feasted on the wide variety of food that Talon's seemingly bottomless wealth could afford. Quick glances were exchanged towards the trio, their eyes quickly turning back as the Reaper turned his head and met their eyes.

"Fish and chips huh?" Sombra turned to one of the counters with an innocent smile.

"Widow? Reaps?" She turned to the other Talon agents. The woman placed a hand over her hip and shrugged, the wraith shook his head on a different topic.

"It's _Reaper_." The man scowled.

"Make it three orders." Sombra suggested with a smirk as she held up three of her sharp fingers towards the server.

"When did they start making fish and chips? I didn't know England had such an influence towards our menu's." Widowmaker said as she placed her hand over her chin.

"Well would you want this or the fucking army noodles they used to serve down the aisle?" Reaper replied.

"True…" The woman submitted.

"Do you have any pepper that could go with this?" The hacker said in the background.

The sniper leaned close towards the wraith and whispered, "What do you think about her?"

Reaper shrugged, "I really don't know. But the first time I met her, there's something beneath that innocent expression."

The pair maintained their sight towards the hacker.

"We don't know for sure, but we'll see how this turns out." Widowmaker suggested, meeting with the agreement of the wraith.

The two snapped back into reality as Sombra shouted towards them, "Hey! I can't carry three trays by myself you know!"

Reaper and Widowmaker rushed towards her and picked up their respective trays and walked towards the seating arrangements.

"There's an open three seater in the corner." Sombra said with a smile, pointing towards the destination.

"Good eye." Widowmaker nodded as the trio walked towards their seats. However three drunken Talon soldiers abruptly sat into their said seats without warning.

"Hey!" Sombra shouted with a stern tone, "We were going to sit there!"

"Find another spot you bloody pompous." One of the soldiers mocked, accompanied by the laughter of his comrades.

Reaper gestured his tray towards the hacker, her free hand picking it up and her head turned towards him. The wraith cracked his knuckles and rotated his neck, chuckling as his hands slowly reached into his trenchcoat.

"Boris. That's…that's him! That demon freakshow!" One of the soldiers shouted with wide eyes.

"What?" The other replied.

"It's the Reaper!" The soldier finally shouted as he clambered out of his seat and was quickly followed by his friends.

"Well that's a shame…" Reaper muttered in disappointment, "I was hoping for some fun." The wraith turned around and took the tray from Sombra's hand and sat down on one of the seats.

The hacker turned her attention towards the sniper; the lilac woman nodded her head and greeted her with a smile. The two agents accompanied the wraith on the table and settled their trays on the surface of the desk.

"I've got a question Reaps." Sombra smirked.

" _Reaper_." The specter reminded as he lifted his mask halfway up his face.

"Remember when we first met on Dorado? And you asked me about my translocator?"

"Yeah…so?" Reaper shrugged as his fingers picked up a chip and crunched it into his mouth.

"You still curious?" Sombra asked as she picked up a plastic fork and dug into the fried fish.

"Well after all the time that's passed, it's blatantly obvious that you stole it." Reaper murmured as he placed his fork into his mouth.

"What makes you say that?" Sombra said with an arched eyebrow.

"You're a hacker, not a scientist – there's a difference. Secondly, I don't think you're the type to be scavenging around places you shouldn't be in."

Sombra gave off a pouty expression, "Always the party pooper."

Widowmaker sighed as she closed her eyes and murmured with exasperation, "Can you two just eat your food, it's tiresome to hear your pointless conversations."

Sombra nudged the woman's arm slightly and chuckled, "Careful what you say mi querido. After all we're the only friends you'll ever have."

Widowmaker nearly choked on her food from the cheeky comment, her eyes narrowed and scoffed as she continued to chip away at the fried food.

"Friends might be an overstatement…" Reaper began, "After all…I'm not even sure if I like the both of you yet."

"I doubt you'd have much of a choice, I mean…look around you." Sombra smirked as her fingers traced around the room, the wraith's head following the direction.

"It's either us, them or to suit your dramatic character – loneliness."

The wraith growled as he succumbed to the hacker's words and kept his head down and continued his meal. Sombra turned her head to the sniper sitting next to her, the woman's actions similar to the dark figure sitting opposite to them.

"Then it's settled." Sombra chuckled, "Here's to a new relationship, mis amigos."


	3. Chapter 2: Crystal Night

The night was cold, sending shivers down the dark figure's body. The corridors of Talon's constructed monstrosity were long and tedious, the creation of the compound being one of the organisations most prized accomplishments. The mercenary was angry, as this was expressed through his heavy footsteps and gripped fists – a feeling of frustration over came him as he pushed open the doors to the courtyard and continued to walk forward.

"They just can't give me a break…" Reaper muttered, the cold evening wind brushed past him and caused his teeth to chatter.

"And it's fucking freezing." The mercenary sat over one of the benches and looked over the black ocean, the moon's beautiful reflection painted over its wavy texture. A warm breath escaped from Reaper's mouth, the vapor seeping through his mask and ascending into the atmosphere.

"Least this place has a great view…" The man murmured to himself as he crossed his arms.

"Why do _they_ have to come with me? That's my question."

" _Who_ has to come with you?" A soft voice emerged from behind the coated man, shocking him in the process.

"Fuckin' hell Widowmaker…where'd you come from?"

"I thought I would exercise my legs a little by taking a walk. What are you doing here?"

"I'm just…frustrated."

"Clearly…" The woman responded as she paced towards the bench and sat next to the mercenary.

"The big shots at Talon gave me another assignment…" Reaper spoke with a mellow tone.

"So it's just a regular day?" Widowmaker replied with an arched eyebrow.

"Well…it's more of a punishment in a way. A tedious assignment for the failures we endured at Volskaya Industries and at the museum."

"Since when were you so hard on yourself?"

Reaper ignored the comment and continued, "You, me and Sombra are going to King's Row – to assess my methods on tackling an assignment."

"And what is your assignment?"

"Strong arm the head of the Irish mafia into assisting Talon's interests over England's ports…you'll just have to report back to the big shots on how I go."

"I'm sure you'll perform your actions perfectly…"

Reaper sighed as he leaned back on the bench.

"And why do _we_ have to tag along?" The sniper said as she turned her head towards the brooding figure.

"I didn't do those missions alone did I?" Reaper replied, "Besides, count yourselves lucky – Talon thinks I'm the main reason for all those failures so _I_ have to do this alone."

"How unfortunate…" Widowmaker chuckled, irritating the man beside her.

"Y'know Dorado's waters looks just like this." A familiar voice broke out, making Reaper and Widowmaker turn their heads around – looking for the source of the noise.

"Up here…" The voice cried above as the concealed character revealed herself hanging over a nearby balcony overlooking the compound. She leapt down and landed next to her two companions with a light thud, itching Reaper with a curious question.

"How long have you been up there Sombra?" Reaper asked.

"Long enough to know why I'm going to Kings Row you two. Sheesh, haven't even been working with Talon for long and I'm already tagging along pointless missions."

Reaper scowled towards the woman, the hacker instantly captured the message.

"Though…it might be fun to see how you work." Sombra chuckled.

"Why are you two lurking out here anyway?" Reaper asked as he leaned forward and rested his arms above his thighs.

"It's the best spot in this miserable compound, the courtyard that overlooks the ocean has fresh air, greenery and only accessible by Talon operatives. Plus this view is great." Sombra smiled as she walked next to the bench, "Mind fitting one more?"

Reaper and Widowmaker shuffled slightly aside, allowing the hacker to place herself perfectly onto the seat.

"I could care less about the beauty of this place – however I will not deny that this area has a calm essence lurking about." Widowmaker replied.

"So…this place makes both of you feel – calm?" Reaper asked, a nod responded from the two women.

"Hmph, I see. Yeah…it does feel calm out here."

The mercenary turned his head to face his companions, "But it's kind of late, shouldn't you two be resting?"

"I don't sleep Reaper…you should know that." Widowmaker crossed her arms and lifted her leg on top of the other.

"And I spend most of the day sleeping – hacking really isn't a day job." Sombra replied.

"Really?" Reaper questioned, the hacker shrugged as her response.

"Not for me anyway." Sombra smiled as she twirled her hair with her sharp fingers.

"As much as I like the view of this place…it's fucking freezing out here." Reaper shivered, his hands clasped tightly around his arms.

"Cold? How the hell are you cold when you're wrapped around all that creased, black leather?" Sombra questioned with a raised eyebrow. The cloaked man returned an expressionless stare and shook his head.

"Well, the assignment's tomorrow night and we wouldn't have to meet at the landing pads until eight at night…so I guess I'm going back into my room to get away from this god damn cold." Reaper said as he slowly got up from the bench and stepped away.

"Or…" Sombra suddenly interrupted, causing the wraith to stop in his tracks and turn his head, "There's an uncommisioned dropship over at the landing pads, maybe we can have a little bit of fun and add a little more fire to your blood. Eh? Widow? Reaps?"

"I think that's an absurd idea…" Widowmaker replied with a harsh tone.

"I agree. I'd rather not get into more shit with Talon than I already am." Reaper grumbled as he slowly walked away.

"Ok fine, fine. How about I treat you guys for Christmas drinks after the mission? Nothing harmful about that is there? After all, the holidays are coming up."

"It's December already? Fuck…no wonder it's cold. Whatever, I'm going to bed…you should too Sombra." Reaper said as he walked towards the main compound, leaving Sombra with the reminiscing sniper.

Sombra turned her head towards Widowmaker, arching her eyebrow as she saw her with wide eyes and still lips.

"Is something bothering you?" Sombra asked. Widowmaker blinked and turned towards her companion.

"N-no…" She paused with racing thoughts. Widowmaker shook her head and spoke.

"I do have one question however…"

"Shoot." Sombra replied.

"About those drinks…"


	4. Chapter 3: Drinks

**_December 25_** ** _th_** ** _– Kings Row_**

"Tsk…last minute changes always contradict the plan." Reaper muttered to himself over a snowy rooftop – his creased, leather trench coat pattered with light flakes.

"Making our _own_ way to the rendezvous? Give me a break…"

Reaper folded his arms and lurked over the edge of the rooftop, the hollow pits of his pale mask zoning over the bustling streets of the district. Christmas lights were blaring, children were laughing and songs were echoing throughout the narrow pathways. Truly a holiday that lives up to a season to be jolly, though with world events such as heavy snow storms approaching and the ongoing crisis in Russia – the wraith found very little to find joyous during the month. The brooding figure peered over his shoulder, silent before harshly rasping towards the empty space behind him.

"Took you long enough."

Purple specks flickered and the form of a hacker revealed herself, her eyes opened and tilted her head.

"Well now. I see you're getting pretty good at spotting me when I'm virtually invisible." Sombra smirked with a sense of being impressed.

"Not really…I wouldn't know that you were behind me if I was hard of hearing. Your steps are clanky, something a person of your status should avoid." Reaper replied as he turned his head forward and continued to examine the bustling streets. Sombra narrowed her eyes and stopped beside the wraith and also turned her attention below them.

"The streets are starting to get more empty." Sombra pointed out as the streets began to lighten the amount of pedestrians.

"It's getting late, and the shops are closing." Reaper replied as he knelt on one knee and placed his arm over it.

"That place doesn't seem to be closing." Sombra pointed towards an establishment, different coloured lights shooting from its windows.

Reaper chuckled, "The nightclub, where young fools tend to waste their life instead of being with their family…that's also where the target is located – in the VIP room."

Just then a hook grappled onto the edge of the rooftop and an agile figure shot up into the sky and landed next to the two Talon agents. Her long, raven hair slowly settling down her back as she stood up – accompanied with an equipped Talon examiner.

"Nice of you to join us Araña." Sombra smiled as her eyes turned to the man beside her.

"Who's he?" The hacker asked with an arched eyebrow.

"He's also a last minute change…Talon thought it necessary to bring him along in order to sort out any bias opinions over Reaper's performance." Widowmaker answered. The vested man stepped forward and also commented towards the three agents.

"May I remind you two, that next time if Talon is not satisfied with your performances – it will be you two that will perform the next task."

Reaper stood up from his post and straightened his posture.

"Lets just get this over with."

The dark figure's body slowly dissolved into a black mist and swirled around the bouncers that lurked infront of the nightclub's entrance.

"Talon couldn't think of anything better for him to do?" Sombra asked the examiner.

"Think of it as a trifle before your holidays." The examiner responded as he released a holopad and began ticking what seemed to be a listed criteria. Widowmaker crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Holidays?" The sniper asked with slight curiosity.

"It's a new system we intend to enforce – however so far the holidays only affect operatives and not soldiers, so call yourselves lucky." The examiner answered as he lowered his light field goggles and continuously looked up and down from the holopad.

"Finally…" Sombra exclaimed as she stretched her arms upward, "I could use a break."

"Your mercenary friend seems to be handling his mission quite well." The examiner pointed out with a smile, "I believe he got the job done."

Shortly after, the mist reappeared from the small opening of the nightclub entrance and re-emerged into the form of the Reaper.

"Mission accomplished. Talon won't be having any troubles around the ports anymore." Reaper said towards the examiner, "So am I done here?"

"Affirmative mercenary, your actions have been beyond satisfactory – I've just been explaining to your colleagues about your holidays."

Reaper stood still and slightly tilted his head, chuckling shortly after towards the thought.

"Since when did we have holidays?" Reaper asked.

"Since now…you're dismissed operatives, you are free to go wherever you wish and do whatever you wish – as long as it does not conflict with Talon's interests, return to base by the end of the season for regular protocol. Merry Christmas from the organisation." The examiner smiled as he slowly walked away from the trio and descended from the rooftop.

The three Talon agents stood still and silent, unsure of what to do with this unexpected freedom. They've been performing Talon's tasks for so long that they don't even know what to do now that they're free from it – even though it's only temporary. Reaper shrugged the snow off his trenchcoat and slowly turned his back from the other two agents, it looked as though he was about to jump off before Sombra made her voice heard.

"I did promise you guys drinks after the mission right?"

Widowmaker unfolded her arms and turned her head towards her whilst Reaper peered over his shoulder.

"Follow me…I know the bartender at this great pub here in Kings Row." Sombra chuckled as she leapt down onto the empty streets of Kings Row, the dimming street lights accompanied by the Christmas lights strung across the closed shops illuminated the pathway. Reaper looked at Widowmaker, Widow returned the look. They both shrugged – it looks like they had to tag along. They leapt down from the rooftop and followed closely behind the enthusiastic Latina – confident that they won't be spotted. After all, it was late and everyone was spending time with his or her families. But for our Talon agents, what family do they have left…or know?

* * *

It was a short walk, the snowstorm just started to lighten up and become clear again. The stars were visible against the black, murky sky. The trio came to a stop to an old German-styled pub, the outside sign displaying clear, red words:

 **'** **OPEN'**

"This is the place." Sombra said as she placed her hands over her hips.

"This just might be the most shadiest place in all of Kings Row." Reaper pointed out.

Sombra shot a dissatisfied stare towards the wraith.

"Lets just get inside, sketchy or not – I require a damned drink." Widowmaker pushed the two aside and opened the door.

Reaper and Sombra shrugged at each other and followed the sniper, descending down the stairs laid before them. Once they've descended down the stairs, the first thing Reaper and Widowmaker noticed was the dense smell – the bar was empty and all that stood before them was a napping bartender slouched over the counter, behind him a wide range of different beers, wines, ciders, spirits, you name it – it was there.

Sombra shook her head as she walked over towards the counter and placed her hands over her hips. With a quick movement she slapped the mans gray head, instantly waking him up.

"Wh- what? Oh…it's you." The bartender said with a heavy voice. He turned his head and furrowed his brow, "And I see you've brought friends too."

Sombra nodded and turned to her companions with a smile, "Well? Don't be shy take a seat."

The two agents obliged as they slowly sat over the surprisingly comfortable bar stools, it was a new experience for all of them to say the least…including the bartender.

"What can I get you my friends?" The bartender asked enthusiastically.

"Vodka…the cold is unbearable." The wraith snapped.

"Whiskey for me." Sombra said as she turned towards the sniper next to her, "What about you Araña?"

Widowmaker clutched her velvet coat tightly, must've brought it along for preventing the snow to cling onto her suit – wouldn't make sense for her to bring it along for warmth, after all according to her she doesn't feel any sense of temperature. Widowmaker was silent for a brief moment before finally muttering.

"Whiskey for me as well."

"Coming right up." The bartender said as he turned around and began picking out fine beverages and glasses. Sombra felt uncomfortable as she writhed around her seat and urched a questioning expression.

"I'll be back…need to go to the bathroom." Sombra jumped from her seat and walked towards the latrine, swinging the nearby door open and closing it behind her. Reaper and Widowmaker received their glasses from the bartender while also leaving Sombra's glass next to Widowmaker.

"I'll be at the back, just give me a call if you need anything." The bartender said with a charming smile before turning around and forwarded around the back of the bar. Reaper slowly lifted his mask half way up his face – only unveiling his mouth and coarse beard along his chin, allowing him the leverage of lifting his glass and placing it over his lips. The sniper beside him couldn't help herself but feel a sudden urge of curiosity towards the wraith. She's worked with him on numerous occasions including the museum and the attempt on Volskaya – though they may have not been the most fruitful examples of their partnership, she respected him in his methods and sheer, calculated procedures.

"You look frustrated Reaper." Widowmaker spoke as she took a sip from her glass, "Something clearly troubles you."

"I'm just…tired, that's all." Reaper replied with few words as he settled his glass over the counter.

"It doesn't take a genius to know that there's more to one's emotions than what they reveal." Widowmaker replied, her tone persistent and demanding. Reaper turned his head to face Widowmaker, clearly it seemed she was more perceptive than what he had assumed her to be.

"I'm really in no mood to discuss it." Reaper said as his hand lifted the glass towards his lips, downing the liquor with a hard gulp.

"If you insist, though I'm sure it would be better off if you got it off your chest…after all, we're not strangers." Widowmaker said as she fixed her gaze forward and sipped from her glass. Reaper was silent for a brief moment before grumbling inaudible words and finally raised his voice.

"Alright fine, but all you need to know assassin…is that I'm just thinking about what _could_ have been."

"Very well Death. I never meant to aggravate you, after all your skills on the field have caught my attention."

"Well I would suggest not keeping such a close eye on me Widowmaker."

"Perhaps the man behind the mask would appreciate it…"

Reaper grew impatient, her attitude didn't fit well with him and he was close to losing it. He didn't know why he was so hostile, but with everything racing through his mind…how could he not be?

Sombra walked out from the bathroom and returned to her seat.

"Hope you two haven't been talking about me behind my back." She jested as her fingers gripped the glass and swallowed the contents with a swift movement.

"Hey barkeep! Need a refill over here! Darse prisa!" Sombra mouthed.

"Coming right up." The bartender replied as he quickly refilled the contents of her glass.

Sombra turned her head towards her silent and gloomy companions; clearly this was not the atmosphere she would've wanted during Christmas – till suddenly she had a bright idea.

"Might I suggest a game?" Sombra said with a reserved smile.

"What is it?" Widowmaker asked with a hush tone.

"It's called straight face…each player writes down an inappropriate or hard to read sentence on a piece of paper, if the reader laughs or cracks a smile they down an entire glass. How about it?"

Reaper cracked his neck and turned towards the hacker.

"Good luck trying."

Sombra clapped her hands and laughed, "Barkeep! Refill their drinks and leave the bottles. Oh and bring some paper and a pen."

Widowmaker rolled her eyes as she rested her head over her hand, "I can't believe I'm doing this."

* * *

The trio stumbled outside the bar, they weren't drunk – but they weren't exactly sober either.

"You know…" Reaper mumbled, "You think you're so emotionless, so therefore by default you win the game."

Widowmaker scoffed, "That's because I _do_ win by default you buffoon."

Reaper growled, "Well that isn't exactly fair is it?"

"And who are you to decide what's fair or not?"

The two stopped as they could hear the snickering of the hacker beside them.

"What are you laughing at?" Reaper asked Sombra with a stern tone. Sombra bit her lower lip as her eyes looked above the two Talon agents.

"Y'know I didn't notice it at first when we got here…but Dios Mío it's there."

Reaper and Widowmaker slowly raised their heads and loved above them. Dangling over the two agents was a green decoration accompanied with small red pellets.

"A…mistletoe?" Reaper said before flustering behind his mask, "Wait you don't mea-"

Widowmaker struck the wraith's face with her palm, causing him to drop to the floor and ultimately stamping the man's neck with her sharp heel.

"Egh!" Reaper exclaimed as he gripped around the woman's leg.

"Ooh, Araña. You're such a heartbreaker." Sombra smiled.

"Shut up Sombra, otherwise you're next."

"I- didn't…do anything." Reaper choked.

Widowmaker released her foot off the man and walked down the snowy streets of Kings Row.

"Thanks for the drinks Sombra…see you next year." The sniper said before grapping off and disappeared from sight.

Reaper slowly regained his stance, rubbing his neck with his hand and coughing every time he swallowed.

"Fucking hell…" Reaper murmured.

"I think she likes you…" Sombra laughed, covering her mouth with her hand before echoing throughout the street.

"Be quiet Sombra…just go home." The wraith said before disappearing into the shadows as the form of black mist, leaving the hacker alone outside the bar.

"Merry Christmas I suppose. Hopefully you won't try to kill each other next year."

Sombra sighed as she walked down the quiet streets, "Maybe I'll catch a flight to America and see if there are any good bars there."

* * *

 **A/N: So sorry for the delay for this chapter, lots of things have been happening regarding Christmas, New Years and whatnot. But anyway – Merry late Christmas everyone and have a Happy New Year! New chapters coming soon.**


	5. Chapter 4: Bond Through Silence

The season had ended. The snow was swept off the decks and pathways of Talon's compound monstrosity as it welcomed a more sunny setting. Talon's soldiers did not change over the holidays, nor did their superiors – Sombra watched as she presented three separate holographic screens infront of her, each displaying different sectors across Talon's compound.

"Hmph…and I thought LumériCo's systems were hard to hack." Sombra muttered as she placed her fingers over her chin. She sighed as she threw her head back over her pillow and caused the screens to disappear as she dragged her gloves off her hands and took off her Thermoptic suit, leaving nothing on but her velvet black t-shirt and panties. Despite it being morning she allowed herself to slowly close her eyes in an effort to drive back to sleep, however the constant noise of patrolling Talon soldiers and flying hoverships have proved to make it a difficult task.

"Eggh, bastardo's…" Sombra said as she turned around and lay on her stomach, burying her face into the pillow. Suddenly she would hear a muffled conversation outside her room, one belonging to a sophisticated man, the other belonging to a grizzled mercenary.

 _"_ _I'm not taking her with me…"_

 _"_ _You really don't have a choice mercenary. Her knowledge towards technology and infiltration skills is essential for your upcoming task."_

 _"_ _She's wild…she doesn't stick to the plan. It would be better if you would send Widowmaker with me instead, at least_ _ **she**_ _would watch my back."_

 _"_ _Unfortunately Widowmaker is on another operation at this time."_

 _"…_ _What?"_

 _"_ _I'm sorry mercenary…it looks like you're solidified with her for the time being."_

Sombra couldn't make out the words they were saying, however she wasn't oblivious to the fact that the wraith's tone was hostile and held certain distaste. Her door endured a few knocks, causing the hacker to spring from her bed and dress herself completely. She opened the door to find a suited superior and the Reaper behind him, folding his arms and turning his head.

"Sombra…" The suited individual began, "Prepare for your next assignment with Reaper. Come with me for the debriefing."

"Ugh…I just got back here and all of a sudden you're sending us back out?" Sombra said. The suited man shrugged and walked down the corridor accompanied by the dark figure, Sombra followed shortly after. As they walked down the corridor, adverse tension arose as Reaper and Sombra walked next to each other. She just bought the guy drinks during the holidays and now he looks like he's ready to grip her throat and choke her to death. She would admit, their first encounter was not the most fruitful of meetings, and yes the mission on Volskaya may have triggered Reaper despite it being Sombra's full intention but so far she had done nothing to aggravate him…maybe. His silence was the one thing that lurched her the most, she knew he was always serious and quiet – but to this extent…it's terrifying.

"Inside this room please." The suited man said as he opened the door and led the two inside. Each of them sat around a holoterminal, displaying a 3D model of a large outpost.

"This is an assassination mission, I'm aware Reaper that you find this disadvantageous due to the absence of Widowmaker."

"Yeah…I do." Reaper snapped back.

"However you two will have to make do without her. Your target is an arms dealer working for another organisation who supplies them with weapons and information over our activities."

"Talon has competition? Interesting…who are they?" Reaper asked.

"The details are unimportant, all you need to know is that the arms dealer and an inspector are expected to meet here." The man pointed towards a specific building, "We've sent the details to you Sombra, we need this done quickly. Get to the hovership waiting for you two in the landing pads, you two can examine the details on your way there."

"And where is there, exactly?" Reaper asked with a harsh tone.

"As I said…the details can be examined once you two are airborne. Now go."

Reaper growled as he sat up and walked outside, followed shortly after by the hacker behind him.

* * *

The ship twisted and turned drastically and constantly during the flight, what the hell was going on out there? It's been nearly an hour after the two had departed from Talon's headquarters and Sombra had already briefed the information to the grudged wraith. The hacker sat on the opposite side from Reaper, an uncomfortable atmosphere sturred amongst the small surroundings of the hovership. They refused to make eye contact with each other – especially Reaper.

Sombra couldn't grasp the reason, but when she thinks about it – she knew she wasn't very liked amongst any community she gets involved with, even Widowmaker turns a sly eye towards her. The ship turned and rumbled a few more times, finally breaking the silence with the harsh bashes from Reaper's fists – hitting the door to the pilots cockpit.

"Raugh! Keep this thing stable!" Reaper yelled towards the heavy steel door, in which the hovership finally seemed steady and once more plunged, the atmosphere back into silence.

Sombra peeked once or twice towards the wraith, each time gaining more interest towards him. His actions were stern, harsh and disciplined – his methods were by the book and strictly planned, she didn't need to know him long to find out he had some kind of military background. Her fingers curled her hair to the side as her eyes examined his every move.

Reaper tilted his head to an angle as he observed one of his Hellfire shotguns; his expression was unreadable as usual, which finally drew Sombra to ask herself an interesting question: 'Who is the man behind that mask?'

* * *

The drop zone was clear, night covered their movements but the outpost ahead of them was clear as day. This was definitely more suitable than the risky attempt at Volskaya Industries, now that most of the guards ahead are mostly napping or half asleep. This should go smoothly.

Reaper made his way up a rocky hilltop, finally claiming a suitable vantage point overlooking the entire outpost. He tapped his earpiece, finding static breaching through the speaker.

"Egh…Sombra. Are you there?"

The static persisted and no answer was made.

"Answer me damn it…"

"Relajate, I'm here…just have to fix this real quick." Sombra replied through the static as her data chords intercepted the terminal and quickly cut off all communications from any other sources.

"Heh, now they're completely cut off." Sombra muttered to herself.

"Stick to the plan Sombra. Can you get me a visual of the target?"

"Tsk…yeah I'm on it."

Sombra cloaked herself and dashed through the inner outpost and past the dead guards she took care of earlier. She spotted the barracks, with the target and a negotiator drinking together through a window, it was heavily guarded – and the guards don't look sleepy at all.

Nearby was a security camera – easy work to disable; however it overlooked the barracks and provided a clear view. Sombra made sure she couldn't be seen as her data chords extended and rewired the system.

"Hey Reaps…I'm sending you the live view from a security camera, the target's in there."

"I've got it Sombra…leave the rest to me."

She spotted a black mist maneuvering through the outpost and behind the barracks; looks like the job will be over soon. She relocated over to a nearby balcony and ensured that none of the guards were around. She tensed her posture as she tried to make herself comfortable, dangling her legs beneath the railways and extending them then crossing them. Her earpiece interrupted her stretches, tapping it with her long fingers.

"Sombra, prep the pickup. I'm going in."

"Have fun big guy."

A few minutes passed before receiving another message from the wraith.

"Sombra…"

"Mission complete I guess, the ship will be at the rendezvous in ten minutes."

"No...Sombra. This isn't the target you showed me."

"…What?"

"I have his throat around my hands right now and this definitely isn't the guy."

Suddenly the alarm went blaring. The guards went full alert as they poised their weapons and swarmed the barracks. Her eyes caught the movement of the same looking target running across the outpost accompanied by a few armed militia soldiers. Shit she should've know – they were expecting an assassination and used a body double.

"Reaper, it was a trap! The target's escaping! He's in the main courtyard of the outpost!"

"Got it." Reaper replied, snapping his form into the black mist and escaped the patrolling guards around the barracks. The target and his escort stopped at a military jeep, clambering inside.

"Where do you think you're going?" A harsh voice broke behind them.

The soldiers quickly turned around but they were still too slow. The wraith raised his shotguns and pulled the triggers, blasting the corpses backwards onto the jeep, splashing blood over the targets fine suit.

"D-don't kill me." He stuttered.

"Nothing personal." Reaper said as he raised the barrel and pointed it towards his head.

A bullet pierced the wraith's torso, tearing through his armor and penetrating his skin.

"Argh!" He knelt down on one knee and clenched his wound; he heard footsteps of two soldiers creeping behind him. Damn it they probably didn't hear the fuss over at the barracks and remained nearby at their original posts.

The two soldiers raised their rifles directly towards the wraith's head. Fuck he couldn't stand, the pain slowed his movement and couldn't reach his Hellfires in time – looks like this was how it would end, he couldn't wraith away this time…not with this pain. It looks like the grave could finally keep him in place this time. Reaper closed his eyes and gripped his wound, lowering his head and cursing beneath his breath.

 **Blam**

 **Blam**

Was he dead?

…

No.

 **Blam**

Reaper opened his eyes, the two soldiers collapsed on the floor – blood oozing across the ground. He looked behind him; the target was eliminated – a clean bullet hole in between his eyes. The precision was devastating. Did Widowmaker come back from her mission to help? Unlikely…but then, who did thi-

A glitched figure of a woman unsheathed her Thermoptic camo and appeared infront of the gloomy figure.

"Looks like the mission's complete…it looks like our guy in the data." Sombra said cheerfully.

"Hrmph." Reaper slowly stood up but stumbled forward and knelt back down. "Argh."

"Let me help…" Sombra insisted as she wrapped his large arm over her shoulders and shuffled him towards the exit of the garrison.

"Come on big guy, you're not exactly light. We need to move fast…those guards aren't exactly deaf and they'll be coming towards the gunshots."

"Hrrgh." Reaper responded.

In the distance a Talon hovership descended down towards their location, a soldier opened the doors and rushed out to pick up the wounded mercenary, carrying him back to the ship before taking off and leaving the site.

"Get him the first aid kit! Pronto!" Sombra barked towards the soldier, he quickly obliged as he rustled around the back and returned with the first aid kit. Slowly the two patched the wraith without much drama.

* * *

Time had passed as Reaper's vision began to clear and so has his consciousness. He grunted as he lifted himself up and looked around with confusion.

"Ugh…what's going on?"

"You took a hit big guy." Sombra replied abruptly.

Reaper looked down to his stomach, realizing bandages were wrapped around it. He quickly tore them off and chucked them to the side.

"Hey what are you doing?" Sombra asked as she edged forward as if she was about to jump off her seat and wrap them back around him.

"Relax…my body regenerates itself real quick. As long as the bullet didn't lodge itself into my body, I should be fine."

"Neat." Sombra said.

"And Sombra…" Reaper paused as he turned his head and gave her an unreadable stare. God was he going to scold her again? The mission was a complete success – though not as smoothly as Reaper wanted to go and not part of his 'plan' but still he could show some appreciation. She bought him drinks for Christ's sak-

"Nice job."

Sombra widened her eyes. Reaper rested his back on the chairs and extended his legs to occupy the ones next them, laying down and resting.

"I need some sleep…"

Sombra smiled and chuckled slightly shortly after, crossing her legs and placing both her hands behind her head – a pose signifying a sense of accomplishment. The Talon soldier who patched Reaper with her was sitting nearby, working on a datapad.

"Psst." Sombra whispered towards the soldier. He turned his head and gave a confused look.

"I just made the big guy appreciate me…you heard it right?"

The soldier nodded.

"Lets just keep this between you and I. It might hurt his ego and reputation, eh?"

The soldier smiled and nodded as a response, turning back to the datapad. The trip back to Talon's headquarters would be the same as it has started.

Silent.


	6. Chapter 5: A Mercenary's Patience

Sombra yawned as she stretched her arms upwards and rested her back against the wall, waiting for her inevitable assignment. The click clack of hard boots met her ears as she turned her head towards the source of the noise. Ah of course it was her, no one could be more distinguishable than Widowmaker herself.

"If it isn't my favourite spider." Sombra said with a smile.

"Isn't it a little bit early for you to be awake Sombra?" Widowmaker asked with a tone far from friendly.

"You of all people should know is that Talon doesn't give a crap about sleep schedules. A mission could pop up anytime, anywhere."

Widowmaker sighed as she continued to walk down the corridor, her wrist was gripped by the sharp-fingered hacker, causing her to stop and peer over her shoulder with wide eyes. There was a brief pause before Widowmaker shot her hand from Sombra's grasp.

"Don't _ever_ touch me again like that Sombra."

Sombra shrugged with a crooked smile, "At least that stopped you from running away."

Widowmaker's eye twitched with irritation. Maybe that wasn't the best course of action but she wanted to know something.

"Listen, you knew Reaper for a while right?"

The sniper didn't answer.

"Have you ever been curious to who he is behind that mask?"

Widowmaker paused, but then she parted her lips as if she was going to finally quench the aching answer Sombra's been looking for.

"I…"

Yes? Come on.

"Don't…care." Widowmaker finally finished before strutting down the corridors and entered her room, closing the door behind her.

Sombra shook her head as she walked back to her room.

"Fine. I guess I'll just find out myself."

* * *

She was alone in her room, her sharp fingers constantly tapping on the holographic keyboard and displayed several holographic screens infront of her. She cross-referenced every sighting that Reaper was seen in, from CCTV to even NASA's satellite systems – everything held vital information, Sombra's only weapon: information.

Time took its toll as what seemed like hours, but after finally obtaining Talon's **and** old Overwatch files all it required was to put the pieces of history together – she hardly seemed surprised.

* * *

Reaper stalked the hallways after returning from another successful mission, he brushed the dust off his creased trench coat and adjusted his mask over his face. He looked forward to find Sombra once again resting her back against the wall and gave him a sly grin.

"Wipe that smile off your face, you look like an idiot." Reaper said as he walked closer towards her. Sombra placed her hands over her hips and leaned forward, her eyes fixed over the wraith's dented mask.

Reaper arched an eyebrow behind his mask, "...What's wrong? Is there something on my mask?"

Sombra chuckled, "I don't know…but you won't believe what I just found out about you Reaps."

The wraith arched an eyebrow behind his mask, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sombra replied, "You know exactly what I'm talking about. I think you're getting too old for this kind of work abuelo."

Reaper curled his fists, "D-did you just call me…?"

 _Well shit, someone knows his Spanish._ Sombra thought as she immediately regretted her choice of words. Reaper lunged forward and gripped her by the coat, pulling her smaller figure towards him.

"Listen you little brat. It's one thing to call me 'big guy' or 'dramatic'. But don't ever call me _grandpa_ got it?" Reaper hissed as he pushed her back. Sombra rubbed her chest and coughed briefly.

"And I don't like where you're getting at Sombra…I don't know how you found out about me or my past, but it's none of your business." Reaper began to walk forward but in a final effort to annoy the hell out of him, Sombra decided to pull off one final stunt.

Her arm reached out and grabbed the dented mask and pulled it from Reaper's face, his clawed gauntlet immediately grasping his face.

 _Hehehe, this is priceless. God it's fun to toy with him like this._

"Relax Gabe…I can call you Gabe right? I'm sure your weird old face isn't as bad as you think it is." Sombra snickered as her fingers curled around his mask.

Reaper peered through the gaps between his fingers, rage building within his body as he lowered his hand to his waist.

Sombra giggled uncontrollably like a schoolgirl before her eyes looked up and met his face.

No that can't be right.

Dark skin.

Chiseled chin.

Rough beard.

Old battle scars.

Curly brown hair.

Hazel eyes.

Reaper growled as his clawed gauntlet reached out and snatched the mask from Sombra's hands, planting it back over his face.

"Stop digging your nose into my business, or we're going to have a problem…big problem." Reaper said as he brushed past the puzzled Sombra, her eyes still wide and her jaw hanging slightly.

"Oh…and don't **_ever_** call me 'Gabe' again." Reaper snapped over his shoulder, his heavy footsteps disappearing as he walked further down the corridor.

It was meant to be a harmless joke, but what the hell is he? No, she must've been delusional. There's no way a man like that could still look so…young. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers over them.

 _Nevermind it, you just need some rest Sombra. Talon can piss off with their assignments for the time being._

She did exactly that. She went inside her room and flailed her weightless body onto the bed, not even bothering to remove her gear. Her face dug into the pillow and her eyes slowly closing – it was a boring day, but interesting at the same time.

* * *

A few days had past and it was raining, heavily.

The pellets of water crashed against her window, causing an irritable amount of noise. She looked below to find Talon soldiers clearing the area as they marched towards shelter from the sudden thunderstorm. Now this was a drag – Talon doesn't seem to have anything new for her to do for now, during this time she would annoy Reaper but right now that doesn't seem like an option. She could always try the person across her room, none other than the Spider herself – but after thinking it over, Widowmaker might not be as hesitant to kill her as Reaper would.

 _Screw it._

Sombra opened the door to her room and disappeared down the hallway, identifying the wraith's room and picking through it with ease. God this was a thrill, pissing off Reaper and then fucking with him even more? The expression on his face would be picture worthy.

 _What if he comes back? I should've left a translocator before I did this._

"Agh, forget it." Sombra whispered to herself as she opened the door slightly and peered inside. No one was in there so she let herself in, closing the door behind her. She flipped the light switch, brightening the room – it was the standard room that all Talon operatives would be provided with, but to Sombra's surprise, it was pretty tidy.

The first thing she noticed however was the smell; it was the strong scent of gunpowder. Sombra was always hesitant to sneak into Reaper's room, but when she finally did the result was kind of disappointing. She walked around the room finding nothing of interest until she arrived at his bed. Two firearms were sitting at his bedside table, placed neatly side-to-side.

She ran her fingers across one of the shotguns before gripping the handle and attempted to pick them up. Her arm felt faint and struggled to keep the gun in her grip for much longer, she put it back and shook her arm. Damn they were heavy; it's hard to believe anyone could hold these hand cannons without breaking their arm from the sheer recoil itself. Sombra placed her hand over her chin as she analyzed the weapons further, they were obviously dented, scratched and has seen their way through countless operations – but they were obviously a much older model than anything from todays standards.

She suddenly froze as she heard heavy footsteps slowly coming closer towards the room.

 _Shit, shit, shit._

Sombra thought she could cloak her way out but he was already too close to the room, he would notice the door open and get suspicious. What was she going to do? She looked around to find a closet near the bed that over looked the whole room; she quickly dashed inside, closing the doors in front of her and leaving a small gap for her to peer from. God she can't believe she was doing this.

The entrance door opened, a gloomy Reaper stalked inside as he closed the door behind him. He shook off the pellets of rain off his trench coat, growling in the process.

"So much for the forecast." Reaper muttered as he walked over to his bed and dismantled his trenchcoat, chucking it aside to a nearby chair and throwing his boots off.

Sombra, still peeking from the closet, felt like a creep. Stalking her teammate through the gap of a closet was the last position she would want herself to be in, but on the other side of her mind she thought it was a good opportunity to find out more about her grim accomplice – you'll never know what information you could obtain to use to your advantage.

Reaper sat over the bed, his back facing Sombra. He removed his mask, placed it next to him and removed his gauntlets.

Sombra started to feel her cheeks flush; now she felt even more like a creep – watching some guy dismantle his clothing and not batting an eye. But she couldn't take her eyes off him. She felt privileged in a way, seeing what was beneath all that heavy armor.

The wraith clipped off the belt that held his shotgun shells and placed it aside, finally dismantling the heavy armor off his chest and legs. He stood up, sporting nothing else but his black t-shirt and combat pants, his muscles clearly expressed through the tight clothing. He walked forward taking with him a towel and a fresh set of similar attire, walking into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Sombra took a sigh of relief as she opened the closet door and cloaked herself, leaving his room and dashing down the corridors. At least she could finally confirm, she wasn't delusional…

Yes…this was the last time she would do something like that ever.

She won't make any promises though.


	7. Chapter 6: The Past

Widowmaker rested her head against her hand, exhausted from their recent mission – the same exhaustion was also carried through her companions.

Silence was the typical atmosphere for the trio as they return from their missions, what was there to talk about anyway? The sounds of heavy rain splattering against the hovership windows and the rolling waves beneath them might've been the only source of sound to counter the eerie silence. Sombra looked up from her lap - finding Widowmaker looking outside the window, her hand still resting beneath her chin. Sombra's eyes shifted to the side, finding Reaper doing what he usually does after missions – inspecting his Hellfires. She noticed specks of blood patterned against his mask, most likely from the poor target Talon wanted eliminated.

Sombra kept her gaze before suddenly remembering her time hiding in his closet, she grew frustrated and sighed as she closed her eyes and tried to forget that shameful moment. Her cheeks began to brighten as she also remembered catching him without all that heavy armor. Sombra shook her head and diverted her attention elsewhere, but she couldn't help it. Her mind still contained a fantasy of what the man infront of her would look like if he _completely_ disrobed, hell she still couldn't believe the old man still looked like her age. Sombra looked at Widowmaker – her eyes still gazing out the wet, foggy window. Then she turned once more to Reaper; having already put back his weapons and looking down at the floor.

The mask can hide many things. Identity. Emotion. Purpose. Secrets.

But secrets were Sombra's specialty, she wouldn't hesitate to grasp onto every single bit of information she could obtain on people she deemed important. But in the case of Reaper – no, Gabriel Reyes – she wasn't sure if all his secrets would be tasteful in a sense. If anything was obvious concerning the wraith and his actions, it was clear that he was going through pain; and pain isn't what Sombra looks forward to while unraveling secrets. Reaper looked up from his reminiscence, having a feeling he was being watched, Sombra looked away before their eyes could meet. She could tell that by now he would have a solid distaste for her, but in his own way respected her as well; that was high praise indeed from the Reaper himself.

The ship landed with a light thud, the doors sliding open and introducing the trio to a heavy rainstorm outside the landing pad.

The three began to disembark, Reaper being the first to introduce himself to the heavy rain. Sombra looked outside and gave a sour expression; the rain wouldn't destroy her cybernetics – but it'll cause a hell of a problem. She looked around to see if she could find nearby cover but the landing pad was an open area with no roofs nearby.

Reaper peered over his shoulder; Widowmaker passed him with her arms crossed, paying no heed to the heavy rain. The continuous rain splattered against his trenchcoat and even washed away the blood that stained his mask. He could see Sombra just standing there, hesitant to move.

"What's wrong?" Reaper yelled amongst the sounds of rainfall.

"Carajo…it's just the rain." Sombra replied back.

The wraith arched an eyebrow and sighed irritably as he walked back to the hovership. He clipped off his trenchcoat and wrapped it around Sombra's fragile body. Sombra looked up at the wraith; not expecting this level of kindness.

"Come on, let's go already…I'm not exactly drying right now."

Sombra blinked twice before accompanying Reaper towards the main compound. His coat was warm and definitely looked like she was wearing a blanket instead of a coat that fit her, the end of his trenchcoat was already touching the wet floor, dragging it behind her as she kept on walking. Her fingers clutched the opening tighter together; the feeling of wet leather caressed her hand. The hood obscured her vision as she walked along but at least she knew the distance between the compound and the landing pad.

When the feeling of rain finally stopped hitting the wraith's jacket Sombra flipped the hood off her head and took it off to give back to Reaper. As she turned to face him she realised he was completely drenched and dripping. Drops of rain tipped off at the end of his mask and claws, his armor glistened with a droll glow. His hand reached out to take the coat back, wrapping it back around his wet body before walking down the corridor without saying a word.

The woman felt guilty in a way, she didn't even get a chance to say thank you. But she felt grateful and confirmed the one feeling that consumed him, pain. Yet she also felt something that consumed her, something she couldn't describe. She was a playful character, witty at times with no hesitation to kill. But she realised recently that when she's with _him_. She's nervous, quiet and having no intention to make one-liners anymore.

An acute feeling she couldn't describe. An unintended attraction.

* * *

 _A mission right after we arrive at base. Great._

Talon had the nerve to send the trio back out into the field immediately after the rain had cleared up, this time in the rainforests of South America. They thought it would be a bright idea to set up another base of operations there, and the funny thing is they sent the trio to do the scouting. Reaper and Sombra were pissed, even Widowmaker found the mission pointless and not to her standards.

"Egh." Sombra exclaimed, "This mud and gunk might seep into my suit."

The three pushed forward just a little bit further before Reaper replied, "Don't think you're the only one Sombra."

Widowmaker kept quiet, her finger itching to pull the trigger at a moments notice should anything pop out.

The sun's rays shone through the tall trees, the smell of vegetation and fresh water streams was refreshing for the three, despite the irritable mission and the long flight it took to get here, it was peaceful and nurturing. The three paused as the paths ahead of them were unclear and muddled, thick plants covered the entire path – no way of knowing where they would end up.

Widowmaker stepped forward, "I'll scout ahead, stay here and I'll be back if I find a path. _Maybe even shoot something while I'm at it."_

Reaper nodded as they watched the sniper grapple over a large tree and began walking forward and disappeared into the forest. Reaper knelt down on the floor and placed his fingers into the dirt, rich soil that was regularly watered by rain. The distant sounds of a river could be heard nearby. Sombra yawned as she planted her back on a nearby tree and crossed her arms, eventually sliding down in a upright sleeping pose.

It was quiet for a while and Widowmaker didn't seem to be coming back anytime soon.

"Damn it…where is she?" Reaper mumbled.

"Relajate, she should be fine." Sombra replied as she placed her hands behind her head and closed her eyes.

"You seem pretty relaxed Sombra…let me remind you we're in a wild environment."

Sombra opened one of her eyes and smiled, "Ha, this place seems pretty tamed to me. Not a single python tried to strangle us yet."

Reaper rolled his eyes and faced forward. Sombra opened her other eye and dragged her tone to a more serious level.

"You know something Gabe- Er…Gabriel."

" ** _Reaper_**." The wraith replied with a harsh tone as he peered over his shoulder towards the hacker.

"You guys were heroes back then, saviors of our world."

Reaper froze as he slowly turned his body to hear what she had to say.

"The war you guys won left me without a family, friends and equals. The orphanage would have a small television that all the kids could watch. Your face was Gab- Reaper."

The wraith remained still, listening closely.

"You and Overwatch were an inspiration to all the kids watching, even to me. All the boys wanted to be like you or that Morrison guy. Dios Mio who knew all that would change after the _incident_."

"Sombra…I will warn you just this once. What did I say about you poking into my business? Huh? And don't ever mention Morrison and me in the same fucking sentence ever again. Do you understand me?"

Sombra was quiet, she nodded as a response, which made the wraith turn his head and continue to face forward. The hacker sighed as she closed her eyes again and contained the feeling of sorrow inside herself.

"But…" The wraith said as he slowly looked over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I understand how it must feel."

Sombra shot her eyes open and looked at him, unsure whether his words were genuine – but as he slowly looked forward and tilted his head slightly down. She knew he endured several losses in his life as well. The two both knew it was best to end the topic there, wouldn't want to remember painful memories written in their past. The wraith growled once more with an anxious tone.

"She's taking way too long…if this keeps up night might sneak up on us."

Sombra opened one of her eyes again, yawning.

"Say Reaps, you seem to be paying real close attention to our spider. Something going on between you two?"

Reaper shot a cold stare towards her, "No Sombra, we don't have anything going on. Just keep quiet for God's sake."

Sombra smirked as she closed her eye and tried to go back to sleep, judging by his tone he was telling the truth.

The sound of a swinging grappling hook rustled throughout the forest. Reaper stood up while Sombra merely opened her half asleep eyes. Widowmaker flew in and landed next to the two, her grappling hook zipping itself back her bracelet.

"What took you so damn long?" Reaper growled.

"It's a big forest you fool. Of course it'll take me long."

"Hrmph, what did you see?"

"There's a spot on the other side of the river, it should be perfect for Talon's base of operations. Shame I didn't get to kill anything yet."

"Alright…" Reaper said as he slowly walked down the path and peered over his shoulder, "Come on Sombra, stop slacking off."

"Ugghh." Sombra yelled as she slowly stood up and tailed behind them. The squawking of birds and the flow of water drowned out the atmosphere, and the Talon agents hoped that this would be the last scouting mission that they would ever receive.


	8. Chapter 7: A Much Needed Rest

Widowmaker and Sombra sat alone outside the office. Distinct arguments could be heard inside as the wraith cursed at his employer, most likely due to his attention to his personal vendetta – it seemed as if he feels that Talon has neglected his terms of serving with them and needed to push the boundaries further.

The racket grew louder as the scratched voice of Reaper bellowed inside, a much softer but similarly stern voice firing back. Widowmaker shook her head as she placed her rifle against her lap and slowly cocked the magazine in place and looked down her scope.

"You look stiff Araña. Something going through your mind?" Sombra said.

"That's none of your business Sombra."

"Sheesh, relax. Your emotionless expressions make me wonder what kind of web you're spinning."

Widowmaker turned her head and narrowed her eyes; "It would be a shame if something happened to you on our next mission. It would be a real _pity_."

Sombra paid no heed towards her comment and merely smiled, brushing her hair to the side and winking at her companion. Widowmaker scoffed, returning to her inspection.

Well that was the end of that conversation – if you even call it a conversation.

The office door turned and a furious Reaper walked out, turning his head to the two as the door closed behind him.

"We're moving out." Reaper said, quickly walking down the corridors with his companions catching up to him shortly after.

"What's the mission this time big guy?" Sombra asked.

"We'll talk on the ship." Reaper replied.

"The argument inside the office, what was that about?" Widowmaker said shortly after.

"None of your business." The wraith said with little patience, his fists beginning to ball. "We need to get to the ship fast."

"Someone's cranky as usual." Sombra yawned, "Let me guess. Talon not doing enough for your little revenge quest?"

Reaper was silent, not a word escaped from his mouth – his anger would be scary enough, but his _silence_ is more threatening than anything he has done before. Widowmaker glanced at Sombra with a hesitant look; Sombra returned the glance with a more worried approach.

The landing pad already had a ship docked for their embarking. They clambered onto the ship and sat around an electronic briefing table. Reaper prattled on about the regular mission – assassination, it was nothing special as it was just another contract to him, a thrill for Widowmaker and a burden for Sombra.

The trip would take long, and none of them wanted to think about the trip back.

* * *

Exhausted.

Tired.

Drained.

Sombra leaned back against the chair and closed her eyes with a sigh, sweat running down her temple, running down her neck and sliding into her suit. Widowmaker could be seen breathing heavily through her nose, not a single drop of sweat coming from her as expected, though her grip on the rifle slipped occasionally as the hovership swayed in motion. Reaper looked to the ground, his firearms holstered inside his coat with distinct splatters of blood printed against his armor – the rise and movements of his chest moved back and forward, quiet pants could be heard behind his mask to regulate his breathing.

The three were spent, this assignment was something the trio needed – but it might've been one of the more complicated ones to date. Agh, it didn't matter. The mission was a success and that was all that mattered, they didn't even want to think about the procedure they had to go through.

"That was such a draaaag." Sombra said as she kept her head up and stared at the ceiling.

"More like fucking exhausting." Reaper said shortly after. Widowmaker kept quiet before muttering, "It was a delightful kill. Though I must admit, it did stress my muscles slightly."

"Slightly?" Sombra asked, "I think this is the only time we've actually seen you even breathe araña."

"Hrmph." The sniper scoffed, "Fatigue is for the weak. Once a web is woven the spider will always go for the kill."

"Hmm…" Sombra's eyes sparkled with cheekiness. "Perhaps you'll take a _bite_ out of me one day, 'Spider'." Sombra licked her canine tooth and gave a wink – a wink, which could be interpreted in two ways. One could be interpreted to taunt her, as if she was testing her words back in Talon's headquarters. The other could refer to a more…affectionate proposal. Which of these was her intention, only Sombra would know.

Widowmaker narrowed her eyes; her once satisfied blood lust slowly burning back into life. Sombra knew she had just poked her patience and had no intention of pushing the boundaries further – though she also wanted to see what _would_ happen if she had crossed the line.

" ** _Enough_**." A low growl ached. Sombra and Widowmaker froze as their eyes turned towards the wraith. Reaper turned his head and clenched his fists, "Widowmaker…you once told us to stop acting like children. Now I intend to say the same. Stop. Acting. Like. Children."

And with that the wraith was silent, turning his head back around and not even batting a single eye towards them. Widowmaker shook her head and ignored Sombra, looking out the nearby window and crossed her legs. Sombra closed her eyes once more and leaned back, wiping the sweat off her brow and shaking it off her glove. She opened her eyes soon after, glancing towards the wraith – his mask facing forward towards the front windshield of the hovership.

All jokes aside, Sombra held her hands behind her head and closed her eyes, smirking a devilish smile. What goes on in that girl's head is beyond what anyone could possibly think of, but if a girl like her is to survive – being unpredictable is essential.

* * *

A few days had passed, allowing the trio to rest.

Widowmaker squeezed her eyes tight as she planted her back against the moist wall of her bathroom. The warm water trickled down her violet skin, pellet after pellet – steam beginning to fill the room as the duration of her shower dragged on. She planted her hands against the wall, fire burning against her yellow eyes. Widowmaker didn't like Sombra. Not even the Christmas drinks were enough to convince her that she wasn't a menace, from the start – since Volskaya Industries, she knew Sombra was a threat. To her, to Reaper, to the entirety of Talon.

She turned the valves, stopping the water and stepped out. She flung her long, messy hair over her shoulder and began to dry herself with a towel from head to toe before putting on a bathrobe she hung on the door. As she left the bathroom, she closed her eyes and began rubbing her hair with the towel, her bare feet meeting the cold wooden floor. Her eyes opened, and to her surprise – a dark figure sat on the kitchen table with his arms crossed, clearly impatient and irritated.

"Never heard of knocking?" Widowmaker said as she threw the towel aside and began tying her hair back into a neat ponytail.

"You wanted to meet. I'm here. Get on with it." Reaper replied with a dark tone.

"Hmph, very well." Widowmaker said as she disregarded how he managed to sneak into her room. She walked towards her wardrobe and opened it – displaying her velvet field gear. She glared over her shoulder and gave a sharp stare.

"Do you mind?"

Reaper shook his head as he turned his back to the sniper, "Why did you call me here so urgently? In case you didn't know…I'm tired."

"I don't mean to soak up your precious time Death. However…" She said as the tight latex snapped against her back, the sound echoing throughout the room. It sent chills down the wraith's spine, "It's a matter of urgency."

"Then talk." Reaper replied harshly. Widowmaker adjusted her hard boots and crept behind the wraith, running a finger across his shoulder and slowly walked in front of him.

"It's about our friend, Sombra."

"What about her?"

"You and I both know she can be either a valuable ally, or a detrimental enemy. We've already discussed this during our time at the cafeteria no?"

Reaper unfolded his arms and walked forward, their eyes centimeters apart from each other.

"Yeah…we have. And we agreed to continue to monitor her and see what she's up to, and so far she hasn't done anything against Talon. Annoying I'll give her that, but so far reliable."

Widowmaker narrowed her eyes and proceeded to fold her arms and lean her weight on one leg.

"You are a fool if you believe that she can be trusted."

"I never said I trusted her." Reaper said, "However she hasn't done anything that's going to collapse the status quo has she?"

The sniper was silent, for a short time the room was quiet before Reaper slowly walked towards the door.

"If there's nothing else, I'm going back."

Then he felt an unexpected hand shoot out from behind him, tugging his trenchcoat towards the slim figure. Widowmaker's eyes burned that fiery glow, her fingers wrapped tightly around the open vest, pulling them closer so that their eyes practically met.

"I'm warning you Death. She is a threat, and she cannot be trusted."

Reaper growled as he shot out of the woman's grip and turned his back, "Warning noted. Now let me rest for Christ's sake."

And with that he opened the door and closed it behind him, leaving the infuriated sniper alone to her thoughts.

* * *

Sombra glared at the holographic screen in front of her. Her chin rested against her forearms as the restless hacker swiped the screen to display a photo, accessed from the old archives of what's left of Overwatch's database. It wasn't easy obtaining stuff like this, it was hard enough to access Talon's systems in the first place, however with enough time – Sombra can take anything.

The photo showed a sublimely younger Reyes, Morrison, Amari and Wilhelm side by side infront of a destroyed Omnic factory. The smiles firmly spread across their faces as their arms were wrapped over each other's shoulders. An interesting relic from the past, the one true sighting of _Ghosts_. Her violet eyes grew soft as her playful expression turned cold. Envy and pain soon settled as her emotion, even ghosts had friends that would keep them company, not like her – people hate those who are different from them, and Sombra was no exception. She could manipulate others with a whim, coil the clueless around her finger, but in the end they felt betrayed.

Sombra shook her head and swiped the photo aside, switching her screens to monitoring the hacked cameras across Talon's compound. From the corner of her eye she saw Reaper stroll down the corridor and placed his hand over the knob of the door to his room, he paused for a brief moment before pulling his arm back and continued to walk down the corridor.

"Now where's he going?" Sombra muttered to herself, her eyes moving on to the next sector of the screen. Reaper headed towards the bar where Talon operatives could help themselves to beverages, though it was under strict supervision by a sentry that their agents won't intoxicate themselves. Reaper lifted the hood off his head and dragged his mask off his face, ordering the bar tender to pour himself a drink.

Just watching him made Sombra feel parched, she might as well go down there as well – this late at night, Talon wouldn't mind kicking off with a few drinks, hell she might even finally make friends with the big guy.

Reaper held the glass over his lips and downed the liquor in a few gulps and later signaling the bar tender to refill his glass.

"Leave the bottle." He said with a husky growl.

The bar tender did as he was told and went around the back to adjust the arrangements of alcohol.

"Sheesh, first time I've ever seen you take a heart to drinking." A woman's voice said behind him.

"Tch…what are you doing up this late Sombra?" Reaper said with an irritated tone.

"I would ask you the same, mi amigo." Sombra replied, she walked over to a seat next to him and sat down.

"Mind passing me the bottle?" Sombra said as she reached her hand out to grab the bottle. Reaper nudged the bottle into the woman's grip and poured the yellow liquor into a glass she pulled from beneath the counter.

"Well…I'm just having a late night drink before I go to sleep. _Mi amiga_." Reaper said as he took the bottle and poured himself to the brim.

Sombra narrowed her eyes and she held the glass against her purple lips, sipping the contents and placing it back over the wooden counter.

"You don't like me much do you?"

Reaper paused for a brief moment, finding the words to say.

"Hmph…I don't hate you. That's a start."

"But Widowmaker is a different story, no?"

Reaper paused once more. This time refusing to say anything.

"I bugged her room while she was away on another mission. Wasn't hard." Sombra snickered as she continued to sip little amounts from her glass. Reaper was alarmed, turning his head and gave her a cold stare. Realising his thoughts, Sombra quickly placed the glass down and gave an innocent laugh.

"Relajate, I just do that to the people I don't trust – or at least to people who try to kill me. Hehehe." Sombra said with an awkward laugh.

"Sure…"

"Besides, a girl like me has to keep one step ahead of everyone else. It's how I survive."

Reaper just stared into his glass, gulping the contents swiftly down his throat and gripped his hand tightly around it. Sombra tilted her head and smiled. She picked up the bottle and poured him a drink, filling the glass to the brim. Reaper took a quick glance towards the woman before turning to the drink and lifting the glass towards his lips.

"Never took you much for a drinker. You always seemed like the sober type to me."

"My metabolism gets in the way." Reaper said as a short, hasty reply. He downed half the contents through his throat before settling his glass down.

"Jesus, you might just be the biggest downer I've ever seen in my life. Do you ever have fun?"

"Well Sombra. Not all of us can have the liberty to prance around and play with codes for a living. Try and keep that in mind." Reaper said as he raised his glass to his lips.

Sombra gave a pouty face as she took a sip from her glass, "Pendejo."

Reaper stopped and narrowed his eyes, "Puta."

"Verga."

" _Bruja_!"

" _Tu feo!_ "

" _Igualmente!_ "

" _El burro sabe mas que tu!_ "

Reaper paused as Sombra finished that sentence, even cracking a rare smile as he took a sip from his glass, keeping Sombra in his sights in the corner of his eye.

"Where are you from Sombra?" Reaper said with a sudden social tone.

Sombra nearly choked on her drink. She never heard him lighten his voice before but intended to see where this was going.

"I like to spend my time in Dorado, there's a really good bakery there. You should go there some time."

"Dorado huh? That explains your Los Muertos approaches."

"What about you big guy? You must have a home, somewhere you would like to be."

Reaper stopped briefly, a sudden reminisce overcame him as memories of his past rushed through his mind.

"Los Angeles…the City of Angels. I wouldn't mind staying there for the rest of my life. Well, it _was_ my life."

Sombra realised that he was sad; clearly even his home was a source of depression and fuels his vengeance. She shook her head, grabbed the bottle and poured his unfinished drink back to the brim. She settled it back down and raised her glass.

"The past is a bitch isn't it?"

Reaper turned and smiled, raising his glass towards her.

"You're damn right it is."

Their glasses clashed, drops of liquor spilled from the collision and landed over the counter. Tonight it would seem that bedtime would simply have to wait.

* * *

The entire compound was quiet, only the Talon soldiers who walked outside the perimeters selected for night duty were awake, besides them there was a room inside the base where the lights were dimly on – and the bar was all but empty, except two figures sitting side by side…laughing.

"Morrison was an idiot. One time while we were patrolling the streets of Numbani after a skirmish, he tripped over an Omnics head and Ana had to catch him before he could hit the ground. The thing was massive and he couldn't even see it!"

Sombra chuckled abruptly; her cheeks were tainted red with intoxication. The bottles beside them only grew in number.

"Dios Mio. Y-your life was a mess." Sombra said as she downed the last of the contents in her glass.

Reaper wasn't any better. His vision was slightly blurred and his mind was spinning.

"Well…at least my life is clear. Unlike yours. We don't even know your real name."

Sombra winked as she carelessly poured herself another drink, missing the glass and pouring some of it over the counter.

"I think you've drank enough." Reaper said as he snatched the bottle away from the woman's hands.

"Hey!" Sombra said with a drunken slur, "Give it…back!"

Reaper chuckled as he poured _himself_ a drink and extended his arm, holding the bottle away from Sombra's reach. Sombra was clearly angry, she extended her arms as far as she could but the longer form of Reaper proved her that she couldn't get it even if she wanted to. Even in a state of drunkenness she thought of a plan.

 _"_ _Maybe if I could push my leg off my seat, then I can snatch the bottle off from his damned claws."_

Sombra smirked as she watched Reaper take a sip from his glass; she pushed her leg off her seat and attempted to grab the bottle from his hand. What could you expect how a plan would turn out when you're thinking of it while you're _drunk_. Her body collided with his, ultimately pushing both of them off their seats and landed on the floor. Reaper landed against his back and Sombra on top of his chest, cushioning the full force onto his body. The bottle was shattered beside them, Sombra slowly opened her eyes, her body felt limp and her world was spinning around her, but as she regained some sense she realised who she was sitting on.

"Ergh…" Reaper growled as he as well began to open his eyes. The first thing he saw as his world was spinning was a surprisingly clear image. Violet eyes stared into his soul; purple lips were begging to be met. His clouded instinct took the initiative, overcoming all personal control. His gauntlet gripped Sombra by her vest, pulling her forward, their eyes centimetres apart. Sombra closed her eyes as she thought she was going to get hit by him, or at least shouted at.

…

She suddenly shot her eyes open as she felt an object push through her lips. Reaper collided their lips together and dug his tongue into her mouth, making Sombra give off a light moan. She placed her hands on the wraith's shoulders and pushed her tongue against his, closing her eyes and allowed him to take control. She felt his rough beard rub against her chin, his clawed gauntlets reached behind her back, making their way up and down as their tongues wrestled with each other, the taste of sour liquor meshed together as they pulled their lips apart, a strand of saliva attached to each others lips. Sombra felt faint. She began to lose control of her body. Maybe the liquor fell too hard on them. Maybe it was too much for them to handle. She felt sleepy, and before her body seemed to collapse before the wraith. She could see that his eyes slowly closed as well.


End file.
